Monday, Jan 06, 2025 22:30 [IST]
Last Update: Sunday, Jan 05, 2025 17:00 [IST]
DARJEELING,: The Gorkhaland Territorial
Administration (GTA) has announced compensation of Rs. 2,44,000 for
the families whose houses were destroyed in a fire at Kalimpong in December
2024.
The first instalment of Rs. 1,22,000 was
handed over to the affected families today by GTA chief executive Anit Thapa.
“Last month, a fire at 11th Mile in
Kalimpong destroyed everything owned by seven families. At the time, I was in
Rajasthan and learned about the incident through social media. I also discussed
the situation with Kalimpong MLA Ruden Sada Lepcha and Kalimpong Municipality
chairman Rabi Pradhan,” Thapa stated in a press release.
The fire, which occurred on December 28,
completely gutted the houses in the area, taking over four hours to bring under
control. Since many of these houses had attached shops, the financial losses
for some families were significant.
“This was a tragic incident, but
thankfully, no lives were lost. While it’s easy to say that people can rebuild
if they are alive, those who have suffered know how difficult it truly is.
Several organizations and community groups have stepped forward to support
them,” Thapa added.
To further assist the affected families,
Thapa has directed the Kalimpong Municipality chairman and district
administration to expedite the process of reissuing essential documents such as
land deeds, voter ID cards, and Aadhaar cards by sending staff to the site.
“Seven families were impacted by the
fire. So far, we have received the necessary documents from five families, and
the first installment was disbursed to them today. The remaining two families
will receive their compensation within a day or two after submitting their
documents. The second installment will also be distributed to all affected
families soon,” Thapa assured.
Thapa acknowledged that the compensation
might not be enough to fully cover the losses but clarified that it was
sanctioned based on government guidelines for such incidents.
